There are ongoing disputes on who should receive credit for this quote. The earliest match that could be found was in an article published by Los Angeles Times in 1936, which attributed the quote to Elbert Hubbard, but the evidence was weak as he died in 1915. In the following years, Dale Carnegie's books and articles confusingly credited the saying to Hubbard, Napoleon Bonaparte, and Emerson; however, Carnegie did not present any supporting citations. Therefore, the originator of the quote remains unknown. Quote Origin: Fear Defeats More People than Any Other One Thing in the World by Quote Investigator
More quotes by Ralph Waldo Emerson
I wish to write such rhymes as shall not suggest a restraint, but contrariwise the wildest freedom.
The real and lasting victories are those of peace, and not of war.
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Attribution
Quote text and notes from Wikiquote: Ralph Waldo Emerson (page history), available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source quality and labels are our own summary of what Wikiquote records.